Design methodology for creating participatory transmedia stories. For $1.25 you can buy an interactive PDF of the worksheets shown in this presentation. This allows you to complete the fields for your own projects and print. Here's the link: http://an.cr/sa/jH0In

2. The worksheets in this presentation are now available for
download as an interactive PDF. This allows you to add your
own project information, print and share.
Download via GumRoad https://gumroad.com/l/uLZe

3.  Active Story System™ has been developed to service the needs of the creative &
advertising industries in an era of attention scarcity, content abundance and
multi-platform consumption
 a design process for creating participatory multi-platform story-experiences
 a framework for commercial success that:
 is goal-oriented
 integrates storytelling, engagement, social media & content strategy
 a series of documentation templates & worksheets

4.  Distinguishes storyworld design decisions from individual story design decisions
 Combines/integrates entertainment and marketing decisions
 Provides visibility of story structure and logic to navigate it
 Provides visibility of character development and player advancement
 Provides documentation templates and a series of worksheets to encourage
structured thinking and fewer design decision mistakes
 Offers a practical organizational framework for the delivery of persistent
storyworlds

6. Definition
• Requirements
• Goals
• Success Criteria
•KPIs, measurement
• Scope
•Countries, Territories,
Languages, Number of
Audience
•Interworking with other
companies & technologies
•Timing & duration
•Budget
• Customer
Development
• ActSS Define the World
•Story, Experience, Premise,
Goals, Audience, Platforms,
Execution
• One Sheet
• Title, log line, call to
action, short synopsis
• Creative direction
• look & feel, tone, mood,
age rating, violence,
language
• Team
• Risks
• Principal resources
• names and availability
• Principal creative
• Principal technical
development
• Inbound: Licensing &
copyrights
• Outbound: Franchising,
merchandising and
licensing
• Community
• management, editorial,
legal
• Business Case
Design
• ActSS Define the story
•Premise, Themes, Characters,
Locations, Periods, Objects, Factions,
Hierarchies
• ActSS Define the Experience
•Gaming, Role-playing, Exploring,
Observing
• ActSS Define the Execution
•Timing, Events, Platforms, Pacing
• ActSS Write Synopsis
• ActSS Develop
Synopsis into Scenes
• ActSS Design the Engagement
• ActSS Design Interaction
• Platform-specific documentation
• Marketing Communications
• Series synopsis & arcs
• Future stories
• Media assets
•Video, audio, image, text, mobile, web
• Events & locations
• Merchandise
• Touchpoints
•Owned, Paid, Earned
• Languages, countries, geo-
restrictions
• Capacity planning
• Controls
Delivery
•ActSS Design Operations
•Editorial & Legal processes,
Social media guidelines,
Community management,
Escalation
•Production
•Implementation & testing
• Audience building &
community outreach
•Marketing communications
• Advertising, SEO, paid Search,
Seeding, PR, Social media
•Launch
•Operations
•Metrics

7.  The Active Story System™
takes a deep dive into every
design aspect of the
experience. The author*
then loops back to add
detail and address
practicalities and project
delivery issues
*Author = anyone creating the
transmedia project
(storteller/narrative
designer/producer etc.)

8. Define the
World
• Story
• Experience
• Audience
• Platforms
• Goal1
• Execution
Define the
Story
• Premise
• Themes
• Characters
• Locations
• Periods
• Objects
• Factions
• Hierarchies
Define the
Experiences
• Goals
• Gaming2
• Role-playing2
• Exploring2
• Observing2
Define the
Execution
• Timing
• Events
• Platforms
• Pacing

9. 5. Write
synopsis
•Premise
•Themes
•Characters
•Conflict
6. Develop
Synopsis into Scenes
•Information revealed
•Character development
•Audience quests
7. Design the
Engagement
•Personalization
•Actions
•Teams
•Pacing
•Motivations
•Immersion
7. Design the
Engagement
•Personalization
•Actions
•Teams
•Pacing
•Motivations
•Immersion
6. Develop
Engagement into Scenes
•Information revealed
•Audience quests
•Character development
5. Write
synopsis
•Premise
•Themes
•Characters
•Conflict
8. Design the
Interaction
•Platforms
•Media
•Out-of-World
•In-World
•Block diagrams
•User Journey
• platforms
•phases
9. Design the
Operations
•Editorial process
•Legal process
•Social media
guidelines
•Community
management
•Escalation
•Metrics

10.  World Definition Worksheet
 Story Worksheet
 Experience Worksheet
 Execution Chart
 Additional Storyworld Documentation
 Story bible
 Participation bible

11. y
Describe the project in a few sentences
Why this project and why now?
What’s the objective of the project? Reach, Preference, Action?
What’s the revenue model – does there need to be one?
How will success be recognized? How will the experience be
measured – what’s the key performance indicators?
Expected size of audience, Countries, Territories, Languages Identify possible risks to budget , quality and time such as
technological developments and interworking,
How will you achieve your goals? What money and other resources are available? What are the key
milestones and deadlines?

12. y
Describe the story in a few sentences
Describe the audience experience in a few sentences
Who is the audience for this storyworld? What are the primary platforms?
What’s the objective of the project? Reach, Preference, Action?
What’s the revenue model – does there need to be one?
What’s the roll-out plan?
What is the message the writer wants to convey? What does she/he believe to be true?

13. Copy and paste Story from the previous slide Copy and paste Experience from the previous slide
What is the message the writer wants to
convey? What does she/he believe to be true?
What themes are explored?
Who are the main characters? What are the main locations?
Thinking of the storyworld timeline, what are the significant
periods? Significant plot points/turning points/reversals?
What are the significant or iconic objects in this storyworld? (e.g.
rings, goblets, sonic screwdrivers, Martini cocktails?)
What are the main rivalries or tribes or sects?
NB: this can help the audience identify and choose a group to
belong to
What levels and ranks are there within the factions?
NB: this can be useful for community forums and games where
people can “level up” depending on activity or success.

14. Copy and paste Premise from the previous slide Copy and paste Themes from the previous slide
In this participation type, what (moral) choices might the
audience be given to make them feel the premise?
In this participation type, what information or questions might
the audience be given to make them think about and reflect on
the premise?
In this participation type, what additional information (in world
and out of world) can the audience explore?
In this participation type, the audience creates their own
entertainment from the tools, apps, media, props (physical and
digital) etc and advice you’ve given them. How will you enable
the audience to role-play and create their own entertainment?
What are the creative and commercial goals of the audience
participation?
Use separate Intrinsic Motivations worksheet as frequently as
necessary: for the world and/or for each story-experience

15. Online
Story-Experience B
Story-Experience C
Story-Experience A
Story-Experience E
Real World
Story-Experience F
Story-Experience G
Story-Experience H
Story-Experience D
Story
GamingCo-creation
Real-world
Immersion Radar
Primary platform

16. Online
Psychophol experience
Wastelander experience
Web series
Tarot Cards
Real World
Event: Festival Screening
Mobile app
DVD release
Feature film
Story
GamingCo-creation
Real-world
Immersion Radar

17. Storyworld
Bible
Participation
Bible

18.  Goals (commercial & creative objectives)
 Policy (for treating fans consistent with company core values)
 In world (Storytelling)
 Gaming/Role-playing/Observing/Exploring
 Platforms
 Events
 Timing
 Out of World (Policy)
 Social media policy (communication style, crisis management)
 Community policy (rewards, highlighting, banning, legal action)
 Editorial policy for fan-generated content (encouraged, allowed, ignored, removed)
 Legal policy
 Escalation procedures

19.  Immersion Worksheet
 Motivations Worksheet
 Participation Worksheet
 Interaction Worksheet
 Scene Chart
 Character Steps
 User Journey
 System/block diagram
 Content/Data map
 Operations Worksheet

20. Importance of narrative, depth of world & degree of authorial
control. Addresses emotional presence: player feels as they
might in real life experiencing real world events. Refer to other
worksheets that discuss story.
Extent to which story-experience pervades real locations &
times, real people & events. Addresses physical presence:
player feels physically transported to storyworld environment.
Describe physical locations & entities or how this
experience pervades real life.
Ability of audience to change or
contribute to the story or experience.
Addresses narrative presence: player
feels able to affect the story. Describe
means by which audience directs, influences
or improves upon the story.
Audience has goal, use of puzzles,
use of game mechanics (trophies,
levels, leader boards etc.); activity
purely for enjoyment & fun. Describe
the game mechanics if appropriate.

21. How will the audience be surprised? How does the experience offer variety and comfort?
How much freedom does the audience have to explore, to
determine timing & outcomes, to personalize their
persona/experience?
How will the audience perceive a feeling of accomplishment?
Will they gain a new insight or understanding? Will they have
gained a new skill or improved existing skills?
How does the audience build relationships with others and/or
with the characters?
How does the audience gain bragging rights, self-importance or
self-affirmation? How is the audience made to feel unique &
valued?
Are there leaderboards, badges, membership levels?

22. Copy and paste Premise from the previous slides What must the audience achieve? What’s the call to action?
Is this action: meaningful, thought-provoking, confirms the
premise, allows personalization, generates conversation,
hits as many intrinsic motivations as possible?
Is this action: meaningful, thought-provoking, relevant to the
premise, allows personalization, generates conversation,
hits as many intrinsic motivations as possible?
What characters are needed? Roles: Hero - the character who plays the
game; Mentor -the character that offers advice and useful items
Assistant - a character who offers occasional tips; Tutor - a character
who explains how to play the game; Final Boss - the villain the player
must defeat in the last battle; Hostage - a character to rescue.
What audience actions are taken alone and in private What audience actions are taken in public and shared with or
discussed with the community
What audience actions are taken in competition with others or
with a character
What audience actions are take in collaboration with others or
with a character
Is the personalization relevant to the storyworld? Allow audience
to join a Faction or vary according to Hierarchy? Generate word
of mouth? Generate repeat play?
Does the pacing of the experience match the pacing of the narrative?

23. How do new audience members enter the system? What’s the process for them to indentify themselves to the characters? How & when
are they called to action (activated)? Create a chart for the “user journey”?
What platforms are being used for this story? What media do we need? Rich media and text based.
Where does the audience cross the threshold from reality to
fiction?
What are the calls to action?
What are the out-of-world websites, social media, objects,
locations, events?
What are the fictional entry points for this story?
What are the calls to action?
What are the in-world websites, social media, objects, locations,
events?

24.  Show how the story moves forward scene-by-scene. What information or state
change causes audience experience of the story to progress? What new information
does the audience gain?
 Note: specific platforms may or may not be mentioned

26.  Show how the characters (perhaps player-character) changes as experience
progresses

28.  Show character relationships and key character data

29.  Show possible path(s) taken by audience to access story/experience
 Show relationship between platforms over time

30.  Transmedia stories (ought to) tend towards a mesh or network of information points rather
than simple linear path  an “open story”
 Open stories best described by states rather than paths and hence user journey diagram is
less helpful
decision point alternative endings
A
B
C
plot point
character detail
Exposition

31. eBook
Online Quests
Location-based Quests
Final event+
eBook holds many answers/clues to the puzzles
Detail expanded later in additional documents
Roswell quests: visitor gets points AND uncovers clues
Clues on social media, blogs, wikipedia etc
 User Journey diagrams can easily become confusing. Especially with branching or open stories
 Simplicity is always best
 Defer complex interactions to lower-layer diagrams

32. Find the location of the alien landing
(e.g. go into store to get grid ref and answer
questions)
Collect points and get to top of the leaderboard
(e.g. upload photos, check-in, tweet, email)Location = story
content & unique
NEC code
Interactive story and choices
from characters in Cult and Hunters
eBook (web URLs)
websites
Location
storylets

33.  Shows scenes (possible states) available in relation to linear story (scheduled content)

34.  Shows how important experience data will be displayed – without the detail of a wireframe diagram

35.  Shows important experience-related assets & data

36. The user journey can be divided into six phases:
 Setup - this is action to create the starting conditions before the audience experience starts
 Registration - the Author decides how (or if) the Audience makes itself know to the experience
 Activation - a call-to-action (which maybe at the same time as Registration or later in time)
 Play - this is the main body of the experience
 Wrap - if the World is to be ended then this stage ensures everything is wrapped up.
Setup Registration
• Attraction/
Spectacle
• Call to action
• Data capture
• Initial status
Activation
• (Re)Call to Action
• Explanation
Play
• Structure
• Mechanic
Wrap
• Resolution

37. Who must approve the content?
How will the content be approved?
What timescales are required?
Are there legal issues regarding the publication of content? Who
must sign-off from legal?
Who is in charge of the community?
What authority do they have?
What is the escalation procedure?
How are they to deal with problems?
What are the procedures for:
a. Purchasing merch and/or subscribing to story
b. Raising a question or fault
c. Who handles questions and faults?
Who is in charge and when do they get notified? How is success measured?
What measures are to be reports? How frequently?

38. The Active Story System™ is available on